This invention relates to disk drives and more particularly to a shipping cartridge for inserting into a disk drive when it is moved and thereby preventing or minimizing the likelihood of damage to the disk drive from mechanical shock. The invention also relates to a method of packaging a disk drive with a shipping cartridge to protect it from damage from mechanical shock.
As is generally known, a computer disk drive has a plurality of components. Many of these components are relatively small. When a disk drive is moved, these components may be damaged by mechanical shock. For instance, disk drives may be damaged while being shipped from an original point of manufacture. Thus, there is a need to protect disk drives from damage when they are being shipped.
As disk drives become smaller and smaller in order to meet design constraints, the component parts of the disk drive become smaller. In some instances they become more fragile. As the fragility of the components of a disk drive increases, the concern with preventing damage during movement of the disk drives is further increased.
If the disk drive itself is to be incorporated into a larger assembly, for instance a laptop computer or another larger device, the casing of the disk drive may be less rigid than a casing used with a stand alone computer. In some instances, disk drives that are to be incorporated into another larger assembly, such as a lap top computer, may not have a casing. Furthermore, even if a disk drive is intended to be housed in a tray or a casing, the disk drive may be manufactured and shipped without a casing. This typically occurs when an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) handles the disk drives. Consequently, the likelihood of damage to disk drives that are moved without a casing is heightened.
This invention includes a shipping cartridge that can be used to prevent or minimize the likelihood of damage to a disk drive during handling or shipping prior to the disk drive being installed in a laptop computer, bay, tray, cashing or other device. This invention also includes a method of packaging a disk drive to prevent or minimize the likelihood of damage to a disk drive during handling or shipping of a disk drive.